COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Branch County Administrator Bud Norman told the county Board of Commissioners during their work session Thursday that the third draft of the proposed 2020 County Budget showed a deficit of $2.1 million.
That’s a reduction of a half million dollars since the last draft, but with the formal budget adoption in just over a month, it’s getting down to crunch time.
Commissioners were assured the addition of two road patrol deputies for the Sheriff’s Department was still in the latest draft.
They were dead set against reducing employee wages in order to reduce the deficit.
Norman acknowledged the six options he presented to commissioners would not sit well with them. He said one option would be to reduce capital outlay funds.
The county is still waiting to hear about health insurance costs for 2020 even as the budget negotiations continue.
The budget is scheduled to be formally adopted by the Board of Commissioners December 17, 2019.
